Melting-furnace.



J. E. HEWITT. MELTIN G FURNACE. APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 27. 1907.

Patented Apr. 13,1909.

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J. E. HEWITT.

MELTING FURNACE. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 27, 1907.

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Patented Apr. 13, 1909.

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UNITED STATES PATENE @Fl l'fi i.

JAMES E. HEWITT, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH 'lO CHRISTIAN FRANZ, OF N EWAR-K, NEW JERSEY.

ME LTING-FURNAGE Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 13, 1909.

Application filed September 27, 1907. Serial No. 894,804.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, James E. Hnwrrr, of

the city of Newark, county of Essex, and

State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Improvement in lileltin -Furnaces, of which the following is a ful clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in melting furnaces, and especially to that class of furnaces which melt brass, copper, composition metals, and other metals.

My invention is further intended as an improvement on furnaces which use oil and gas or their combinations, as fuel. In many of such furnaces it is the practice to admit the fuel at the side, and the crucible in which the metal is melted is often insulated by layers of fire brick. My invention is intended to improve on this type of furnace and to provide means for admitting the fuel directly beneath the pot or crucible, to provide a suitable insulation between the inner combustion chamber and the shell of the furnace, to the end that all the heat may be utilized for melting, and further, to arrange the parts mechanically so that the furnace can be economically made, easily managed, and operated so as to produce a more satisfactory and economical result than furnaces heretofore used for the purpose.

With. these ends in view my invention consists of a melting furnace, the construction and operation of which will be hereinafter described and the novel features claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a furnace showing my improvements. Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section of the'furnace. Fig. 3 is a plan view thereof with the cover removed. Fig. at is a broken side elevation of the top part of the furnace. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the cover. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the supporting block on which the crucible rests. Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the crucible block. Fig. 8 is a detail sectional view of a form of burner adapted for use with the furnace, and Fig. 9 is a detail longitudinal section of one of the joints of the fuel pipe.

The furnace uses a crucible or pot 10, which can be of the usual kind, but instead of resting on an ordinary block or support and having the fuel admitted at the side, it is sustained on a hollow block 11 which has suitable leg portions 12, and which has at the top a seat 13 on which the crucible rests. The top part of the block'immediately beneath the seat 13, is convex on the under side, and shaped to distribute the rising heat and products of combustion to the sides and to the openings or ports 15, which are best shown in Fig. ('5, and which are formed by cutting away the sides of the block. There can be any necessary number of these ports or openings, but I find that three are sufficient for good results. The block 11 rests on the bottom 16 which is arranged substantially as usual in a shell 17, and is of fire brick or other suitable heat resisting and insulating material. lhe bottom part of the block 11 is also preferably incased in and steadied by a hearth 18, also preferably of the brick, and rising from this hearth and encircling the crucible 10, is a wall 19 of fire clay or other suitable substance, this wall being preferably made up in sections which fit together by matched joints 20 as shown best in Fig. 2. The shell 17 is lined with firebrick 21, or with similar insulating material, and it will be seen that a substantial air space is left between the parts 19 and 21, thus forming an excellent insulation for heat and preventing loss by radiation. It will be observed that the inner wall 19 forms a combustion chamber within it, and that this combustion chamber is, as stated, thoroughly insulated. The crucible rests on the seat 13 of the block 11, and is steadied near the top by the staying blocks 22, which are preferably fire clay, which are supported by brackets 23 attached to the shell 17 and abutting against the wall 19, and thus the brackets serve the double purpose of supporting the blocks 22 and spacing the wall 19 with reference to the wall 21.

Leading through the wall 19 at necessary points, and preferably just above the hearth 18, are openings or ports 24, so that in case a crucible breaks, the metal can run out through the openings 24 and also out through the opening 25 which leads through the lining 21 and shell 17. This opening 25 is large tically separable sections, a crucible supporting block having side openings for the passage of fuel, the top of said block being convexed on its under side and arranged to deflect fuel through the side openings.

6. A furnace comprising an outer shell, an inner combustion chamber, a hearth in the combustion chamber, a crucible support held by the hearth, said crucible support having l openings in its side, the top of said crucible 10 support having a convexed under surface for directing products of combustion to said openings.

JAMES E. HEWITT. 14.8. 

